1. Reading Lesson

Gulliver Is Searched

The Emperor of Lilliput desired that I would not take it ill if he gave orders to certain proper officers to search me. These gentlemen made an exact inventory of everything they saw, as follows:

In the right coat pocket of the great Man mountain we found only one coarse piece of cloth, large enough to be a foot-cloth for your majesty's chief room of state. In his left waistcoat pocket there was a sort of engine from the back of which extended twenty long poles, wherewith we conjecture the Man mountain combs his head. In the large pocket on the right side of his middle cover we saw a hollow pillar of iron about the length of a man, fastened to a strong piece of timber larger than the pillar; and upon one side'of the pillar were huge pieces of iron sticking out, cut into strange figures, which we knew not what to make of. In the left pocket another engine of the same kind.

In the smaller pocket on the right side were several round pieces of white and red metal. Some of the white, which seems to be of silver, were so large and heavy that my comrade and I could hardly lift them. In the left pocket were two black pillars, irregularly shaped; we could not, without difficulty, reach the top of them as we stood at the bottom of his pocket. One of them was covered, and seemed all of a piece; but at the upper end of the other there appeared a white round substance about twice the bigness of our heads. Within each of these was enclosed a prodigious plate of steel. These strange objects, by our orders, we obliged him to show us, because we apprehended they might be dangerous engines. He took them out of their cases, and told us that in his own country his practise was to shave his beard with one of these, and to cut his meat with the other.

There were two pockets which we could not enter: these he called his fobs. Out of the right fob hung a great silver chain, with a wonderful kind of engine at the bottom, which appeared to be a globe, half of silver and half of some transparent metal: for on the transparent side we saw certain strange figures, circularly drawn, and thought we could touch them till we found our fingers stopped by that lucid substance. He put this engine to our ears. It made an incessant noise, like a waterfall. He called it his oracle, and said it pointed out the time for every action of his life. From the left fob he took out a net almost large enough for a fisherman) but contrived to open and shut it like a purse. We found therein several massy pieces of yellow metal, which if they be real gold must be of immense value.

Having thus, in obedience to your majesty's commands, diligently searched all his pockets, we observed a girdle about his waist made of the hide of some prodigious animal, from which, on the left side, hung a sword of the length of five men; and on the right side a bag or pouch, divided into two cells, each cell capable of holding three of your majesty's subjects. In one of these cells were several globes, or balls, of a most ponderous metal. They were about the bigness of our heads, and required a strong hand to lift them. The other cells contained a heap of certain black grains, but of no great bulk or weight for we could hold above fifty of them in our palms.

Signed and sealed, on the fourth day of the eighty-ninth moon of your majesty's reign.

Clefrin Frelock. Marsi Frelock.

- Gulliver'sTravels.

2. Study

Why did the emperor order Gulliver to be searched? Why should the little men not know what the pistol was?

What were the "plates of steer' in. one pocket? Decide how long Gulliver's sword must have been. What was the metal that the heavy balls were made of? Why was Gulliver's watch so interesting to the men?

Can you tell how long the king had reigned?

3. Exercises

1. Make a list of the articles that were found in Gulliver's pockets. Tell what each was supposed to be.

2. Write ten of the hardest words in this lesson. Write them in syllables, and see if you can pronounce them to your class.

4. Written Description

1. Copy carefully the description of Gulliver's watch. Be ready to tell just what parts of a watch are described.

2. Think of some common article, like a pen, or a pair of scissors, or a telephone, and describe it as if you did not know what it was. See if your classmates know what you mean.

5. Oral Description

Read several times the description of one of the articles in Gulliver's pockets. Be ready to give the description in class, using many of the words of the story.

6. Reading Lesson

Trouble In Lilliput

One morning about a fortnight after I had obtained my liberty, Reldresal, principal secretary of private affairs, came to my house. Said he, "We are threatened with an invasion from the island of Blefuscu, which is the other great empire of the universe, almost as large and powerful as this of his majesty. These two mighty powers have, as I was going to tell you, been engaged in a most obstinate war for six and thirty moons past.

"The war began upon the following occasion: It is-allowed on all hands that the primitive way of breaking eggs before we eat them is upon the larger end; but his present majesty's grandfather, while he was a boy, going to eat an egg and breaking it according to the ancient practice, happened to cut one of his fingers. Whereupon the Emperor, his father, published an edict commanding all his subjects to break the smaller end of their eggs. The people so highly resented this law that our histories tell us there have been six rebellions raised on that account, wherein one emperor lost his life and another his crown.

" During the course of these troubles the emperors of Blefuscu did frequently accuse us of offending against a doctrine of our great prophet that all true believers break their eggs at the convenient end. And which is the convenient end seems, in my humble opinion, to be left to every man's conscience to determine.

" Now, the Big-endian exiles in the Emperor of Blefuscu's court have found so much private assistance and encouragement from their party here at home, that a bloody war has been carried on between the two empires for thirty-six moons, with various success; during which time we have lost forty capital ships and a much greater number of smaller vessels, together with thirty thousand of our best seamen and soldiers; and the damage received by the enemy is reckoned to be somewhat greater than ours. However, they have just equipped a numerous fleet, and are preparing to make a descent upon us; and his imperial majesty, placing great confidence in your valor and strength, hath commanded me to lay this account of his affairs before you."

I desired the secretary to present my humble duty to the Emperor, and to let him know that I thought it would not do for a foreigner like me to interfere with parties; but I was ready to defend his person and state against all invaders.

7. Study

fortnight, two weeks; edict, law; rebellion, war against one's own government.

Why is Gulliver now able to talk with the natives of the island? What was the emperor's trouble in his own country? What caused the quarrel? Which side do you think was right ?

What other nation did these people of Lilliput know of ? What was the cause of the war between these two nations ? What do you think of it ? Do people quarrel about small things now? Why was Gulliver not willing to interfere in the war? Was he right ? What do you think of the wisdom of the people of Lilliput ? Explain your reasons.

8. Word Studies

1. Write sentences using these words correctly: obtained convenient.

assistance damaged.

What other words would give the meaning as well as these?

9. Oral Composition

Choose one of these parts of the story to tell in class.

1. Why there was trouble among the people of Lilliput.

2. The quarrel between the people of Lilliput and those of Blefuscu.

10. Written Work.

Imagine yourself in Gulliver's place. Write his diary for several days.